Falling is Like This
by elaboratenonsense
Summary: I'm sorry I can't help myself, so don't look at me that way / we can't fight gravity on a planet that insists / that love is like falling / and falling is like this.  Jane and Maura realize their feelings for each other. Don't own R&I, TNT has rights!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything; all rights belong to TG/TNT. These characters aren't mine, I just like to take them out and play with them for a while. :)

Author's Note: This story has not been beta-ed, so any mistakes are all mine (if you send me a note/review, I will fix it!). Thanks for reading! Remember that reviews are love! :)

Jane Rizzoli wasn't a complicated person, or at least, she didn't think she was. Her friends and family always said she was blunt; sometimes it sounded more like an insult than a compliment but Jane simply called things as she saw them. She was honest... To everyone but herself, it seemed.

She couldn't deny that she'd looked that way, that her eyes had traveled up and down the length of her fine friend. She couldn't deny that the reason she started backing up into her dance partner was not so that he could cop a feel, but so that she could ease him closer to the side wall of the nightclub, where her friend was dancing. She would deny, however, that watching Maura's hips sway back and forth was causing a stir inside of her. She'd also deny that she was aching to slug the greasy guy eyeing her friend like a piece of steak. She was just watching out for a friend, she told herself. _You can take the girl out of the precinct, but you can't take the cop out of the girl_, or some similar justification. It didn't really make sense, but it gave her enough of a reason to keep her eyes on the M.E.

Maura glanced up, seeing Jane's intent stare. She didn't know how to react to the scrutiny of her friend's gaze, seemingly raking up and down her body in an almost predatory way. Averting her eyes, she pushed her hips back into those of the man she was dancing with. He was nice-looking, tall, dark hair, dark eyes. His handsomely cut jawline reminded her of someone, but she couldn't exactly figure it out. The music thumped louder and she closed her eyes as she let the sounds accentuate the hardly appropriate thoughts running through her head. _Pressing her hips back into ones much softer than his. Reaching back to tangle her fingers in long dark hair. Feeling gentle hands pressing and pulling at her waist. Husky voice whispering in her ear that maybe they should get out of there, go back to her place._

Jane couldn't watch anymore. Maura was practically writhing in that slimebag's hands, her head bent back, biting her lip. Jane looked away as her stomach churned uncomfortably. She politely put a palm on the chest of the blonde clean shaven man currently rubbing himself all over her and stepped away, motioning that she needed a drink. He smiled and nodded, turning to dance with a nearby group of women. Jane stalked off the dance floor and made a beeline for the bar.

"Beer, please," she said when the bartender approached her. The transaction was quick, she handed him a five and he handed her the beer, smiling when she said he could keep the change. Taking a long pull off the bottle, Jane leaned back against the bar and scanned the dance floor, looking for her friends. Barry Frost, her partner at the homicide unit of the Boston Police Department was flirting with a pretty blonde girl near the back of the small club. She caught his eye and raised her eyebrows, wondering about the age of the tart he was trying to pick up; he winked in return and gave her a thumbs-up. She shook her head and chuckled. _He's young_, she thought, _but a good guy. A good partner, like Korsak_. Lingering feelings of guilt surfaced briefly before she could stop them. Frost had only been her partner for a short while, ever since she'd recovered from the attack of a serial killer. Her partner then had been Vince Korsak, one of the kindest men she'd ever known, and also one of the most loyal. He'd rescued her when Hoyt had nearly killed her, and it was that very fact that caused her to request a new partner. She just couldn't stand the thought that Korsak had seen her so vulnerable, so victimized. She couldn't go on knowing that he might think she wouldn't be able to have his back if anything like that ever happened again. She loved Korsak, she really did, but she was just too proud to let him see her in that way.

Her eyes continued to scan the dance floor, not really noticing the people, but taking in the atmosphere as a whole. The calculating cop in her picked out all the exits around the small, but crowded club. The hole-in-the-wall hotspot was a well-kept secret in Boston, using the unassuming name of The Lobby to fade into background of the flashy and sordid nightlife scene. The origins of the name were simple: the building had once been a fancy hotel, abandoned in the mid seventies, and left to rot until extensive renovations had uncovered the diamond in the rough during the late nineties. It had started as a simple bar, but encouragement from the patrons turned the establishment into a club every weekend after nine. Jane, a lifelong citizen of Boston, hadn't even heard of the place until a case had brought them within blocks of it. After leaving the crime scene a few weeks prior, Frost and Maura had pointed out The Lobby and it had been decided that they would all go dancing once the particularly gruesome triple homicide case was solved. A celebration, if you will.

The only issue Jane had with the plan was that she was not the dancing type. Her only experience with dancing had been in high school, during Prom and Homecoming, neither of which brought forth the best of memories. But Maura had insisted, batting those hazel eyes and giving her that perfected kicked-puppy face. That face could get Jane to do just about anything. So where was she spending her Friday night? _At a damn club. _

She was so caught up in thoughts of Maura and her many faces that she didn't hear the very object of her musings sidle up beside her to lean against the bar.

"I noticed you left," Maura said, motioning to the bartender for a drink. "Quite suddenly, actually. Are you feeling okay? Are you sick?"

Jane looked over at the compassionate expression, etched with just a little bit of sympathy and concern. She smiled and took another pull of her beer.

"Nope, just thirsty," Jane answered, holding up her half-empty bottle. The bartender approached and Maura began inquiring about his wine stock. Jane took the opportunity to give her friend a thorough once-over. Not that she hadn't done this about a hundred times since Maura had shown up at her apartment earlier this evening.

Jane had been standing in front of her closet, trying to decide between a blue tshirt and black slacks and a purple tshirt and black slacks when she heard a knock on the door. Clad in just a white tank top and boxer shorts, she'd strolled through her small apartment to the door, hoping that it wasn't Maura. _She'll be pissed that I'm not ready yet. _

Of course, it had been Maura, dressed in a sleek grey skirt and a white button up with small frills down the front. Her four-inch black satin high heels had put her at just above eye-level with Jane. Predictably, she had gasped at Jane's outfit, or rather, lack thereof.

"Tell me that's not what you're wearing, Jane," she'd said by way of greeting before pushing past her friend into the apartment, laying two garment bags over the side of the couch.

Jane had rolled her eyes dramatically, closing the door before turning to Maura and giving her a deadpan look. "But these are my going out clothes," she'd said with a flourish of her arms.

Maura had pursed her lips, trying to hold back a smile, succeeding for only a second before chuckling. "What ever am I going to do with you, Jane?" she'd asked rhetorically, arms crossed with one hand near her mouth, faking pensiveness.

Jane had scoffed, bending down to pet Joe Friday for a second before walking past Maura to her bedroom. "I just don't know what to wear," she had called loudly. "You know I'm horrible at this whole being-a-girl thing. Not everyone can always look like they just walked out of a photo shoot, like you, you know."

Maura had followed Jane into her room, and was standing before the woman's poor excuse of a wardrobe, a look of deep concentration on her face.

"I do not look like I walked out of a photo shoot, Jane. You've seen me in these clothes many times."

"I don't know why I'm even bothering, no one will even notice me when you walk in, doing a remarkable impression of Heidi Klum,"

"Oh, I'm not wearing this tonight," Maura had said, as if amused by Jane's implication.

"You're not?" Jane had asked with a hint of desperation in her voice. "Then what are you wearing?"

Maura had just smiled. "You'll see," she said.

Jane had chuckled, reaching into her closet and pulling out the black slacks she'd been pondering before. Maura's hand had clapped onto her outstretched arm with exceptional speed. Jane's eyes had followed the line of Maura's arm up to her face and almost burst out laughing at the horrified expression she found there.

"But you are _not_ wearing _that_," Maura had demanded, pushing the slacks back into the closet. She had pushed Jane back a safe distance from the wardrobe and gave her an appraising look. A beat later, she had perked visibly and left Jane's room, much to Jane's confusion, only to return with one of the garment bags in hand. The coy smirk on her face had made Jane extremely nervous.

"If that's a dress, you can forget the whole night." When Maura's smile had widened and she didn't answer, Jane groaned. "Seriously, Maura? A dress? Come on!"

So there Jane was, in The Lobby, in a dress, dancing. The black dress was similar to the one Angela Rizzoli had forced Jane to buy for her date with Joey Grant, except this one was slightly shorter, tighter, and had a sexy slit up the side. Jane felt totally out of her element, but the stunned expression on Maura's face when she'd walked out of the bathroom wearing the dress was priceless, even if if only took a nanosecond for Maura to compose herself and compliment the "impeccable stitching". Impeccable stitching or not, Jane took solace in the fact that Maura thought she looked good.

"I saw that guy you were dancing with," Maura said, interrupting Jane's train of thought. "Did his hands feel particularly scaly?" Her nose scrunched up and her head tilted to the side: the signature Doctor Isles analysis face.

"Wha- Maura, why?"

"Well, it looked like he had patches of rough, discolored skin. I wondered if maybe said skin felt particularly scaly, which could indicate a number of diseases like psoriasis or dermatitis, possibly eczema if the patches were particularly itchy. Did you notice him scratching at all?"

Jane just looked at her friend, absolutely baffled. "Maura, eww. Why are you diagnosing right now? We are supposed to be celebrating and you're concentrating on skin conditions? How could you even tell what his skin looked like? It's dark out there," she nodded her head towards the dance floor where the colored lights blinked and flashed on the undulating crowd.

Maura visibly recoiled. After she'd received her glass of wine, she'd looked at Jane, who'd been gazing at her with that same hungry look she'd seen on the dance floor. Seeing that gleam in Jane's eyes had caused the coil that had been riding low in her abdomen all evening to tighten just a little more; it wasn't an entirely uncomfortable sensation. Her impromptu diagnosis had been a split-second reaction to the tightening of that coil, a misdirection from what she was sure was arousal written all over her face. In all truthfulness, she'd been staring at Jane all night and watching some... derelict running his hand all over her best friend made her slightly uncomfortable. She felt the bizarre need to associate the man with something disgusting, if not for her friend's sake, then for her own peace of mind.

Jane knew immediately her words had caused some harm and moved quickly to rectify the situation. She wrapped her hand around Maura's upper arm and ducked her head, the better to see into her friend's averted hazel eyes.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry," she said, rubbing Maura's bare arm. "I'm just wound up from that case. I mean, I know we're supposed to be celebrating, but I just can't get that girl's face..." her voice broke off in a strangled sigh.

Maura looked up, seeing Jane's pained expression. As a medical examiner, she had trained herself not to see the faces of the unfortunate people who'd laid on her table. She preferred to look at each corpse like a puzzle, something easily dissected and analyzed. Living people were so much harder to understand, and for once she lacked the words to comfort her friend. So she just pulled her into a hug. Her arms wrapped around Jane's shoulders, on hand on the back of Jane's head.

The hug took Jane by surprised, but was not unwelcome. She immediately wrapped her arms around the smaller woman's waist, pulling their bodies flush together and tucking her face into Maura's neck. It wasn't just the case that was getting to her, it was the rush of emotions she'd been having lately. Feelings that she couldn't explain. Feelings about Maura, about the two of them together, about her life. It had all just seemed to accumulate this week. She sniffed and pulled away from Maura quickly, realizing she'd hung on too long.

Maura kept a hand on Jane's shoulder as she pulled away, studying her friend's face closely. She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind Jane's ear, watching as Jane sighed and subtly let her cheek rest against the hand for longer than conventionally necessary.

"Are you okay, Jane? Do you want to go home?"

Jane turned away from Maura, grabbing her beer and finishing it off. "No, no, I'm fine. Let's uh... let's dance."

"You sure?" Maura still wasn't confident that Jane was feeling completely okay, but was willing to concede, knowing that the last thing Jane needed was to dwell on the situation. Plus, there were things she herself needed to mull over first. Like how she'd been feeling about their relationship lately. She tried to shake off the thoughts as a new song started up and the crowd cheered. It must have been one of the new hits on the radio. While Maura didn't exactly prefer the throbbing techno beat, it was Jane's fingers tightening around her wrist and pulling her towards the dance floor that changed her mind.

"Yes! Dancing, let's go!"

Jane pulled Maura into the middle of the crowded floor, and they were shoved together by the surrounding gyrating crowd, with barely an inch between them. She looked up and saw that look on Jane's face. The hungry look that made her weak in the knees. Jane's hands fell to Maura's hips and she began to move in time with the song. At this rate, Maura thought, the pulsing cacophony of a song could wind up being Maura's absolute favorite.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Just playing around with these wonderful characters! TG and TNT have all rights.**

**A/N: Thank you for all the great reviews! I am having fun writing this story. Sorry this chapter isn't very long. Real life is kind of crazy right now, but I promise to work harder to get this story moving! Hope you all like it! :)  
**

"Are you okay, Jane? Do you want to go home?"

Going home would mean leaving, which would mean being alone with Maura, therefore confronting the thoughts and feelings that had been on the verge of consuming her all night. And _that_ was not something Jane was ready for.

"No, no, I'm fine. Let's, uh..." she glanced at the dance floor. Just minutes ago it looked chaotic and cramped, but now it was the proverbial oasis where Jane could find relief for the sudden dryness in her mouth. "Let's dance."

She could tell by Maura's expression that her diversion wasn't all that convincing, so she seized Maura's wrist, her long fingers wrapping around the delicate joint, and pulled her friend into the pandemonium of the dancing crowd. They slipped through an opening in the mass, to the center of the dance floor. The throng closed around them quickly, pressing and pushing them together. Jane was nudged from behind and stumbled forward, her hands reaching forward for stability. She certainly didn't mean for her hands to land on Maura's hips, she surely didn't mean to pull her closer, and she definitely didn't mean to look down into the eyes of her best friend, a look of undeniable lust on her face.

In response to the sudden pressure on her hips, Maura's eyes snapped up. She couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath as she saw Jane's wanton expression.

The sound of the disc jockey's voice sliced through the tension of the moment and Jane's hands dropped from Maura's body. They both looked up towards the DJ booth set on a platform at the back of the room which was surrounded by the popular MC's groupies.

"Who's ready to party?" the DJ shouted, lifting his hands into the air and looking around expectantly.

A resounding cheer erupted around them before a remix of another popular song began pumping through the speakers.

With the newly acquired space between them, both Jane and Maura's bodies set in motion, moving with the beats of both the song, and the rhythms of their pounding hearts. The colorful flickering and swinging club lights allowed Jane to inconspicuously appraise her friend as they danced. For the evening out, Maura had chosen a scarlet halter dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, but had a slight draping effect at the top around her chest that left plenty to the imagination. _And I definitely imagining_, Jane thought involuntarily. Maura had left on her impossibly-high black pumps, accessorizing with few black bangles around her left wrist and dangling jet black earrings. Jane's eyes traveled over the bare expanse of Maura's back as the honey blonde spun in a circle, hands in the air. When she'd completed the turn, her eyes flicked to Jane's and they shared a smile.

A waiter with a tray of shots passed between them, and they each grabbed one. Jane knocked hers back with ease; years of having to prove herself to all the men at the academy and in her unit had hardened her stomach. Maura, on the other hand, had a little more difficulty. She nearly choked as the tequila slid down her throat, leaving fire in its wake. Jane's hand thumped on her back as she coughed, and though she winced at as the heat churned in her stomach, Jane's amused expression caused her to laugh as well.

They continued dancing as various songs melted and morphed into each other, the women slowly drifting closer and closer together. It wasn't long before they were within inches of each other again, not bothering to break eye contact as often. The effects of the beer, wine, and the three shots they'd each consumed were making quick work of their inhibitions.

Once again, Jane reached out for Maura, but this time it was no accident. She curled her fingers around the blonde's slim hips, swaying in time with the music. Maura laid her hands Jane's shoulders, and looked into Jane's dark eyes. _This is wrong... I shouldn't...we shouldn't..._ Maura's thoughts were cut short when Jane's left hand slid from Maura's hip to her lower back, pressing Maura closer, effectively ridding any space between their bodies. Maura bit her lip to hold back the moan that was nearly ripped from her throat the second she felt Jane's hips rolling into hers.

Jane could hardly breathe. She couldn't believe she was here, in a nightclub, in a dress, rolling her hips into Maura's. When the M.E.'s hips rolled back in response, Jane moaned, her head falling forward and the dark curtain of her hair falling around her face. Maura was close enough that Jane could feel the blonde's breath on her cheek. She lifted her eyes to Maura's face, not entirely sure she was ready for the expression she found there.

All Maura could feel was heat. Heat where Jane's arm tightened around her lower back, her hand splayed dangerously close to her ass. Heat where Jane's hips continued to rock against hers, left and right and left again. Heat on her neck where Jane's gasping breaths were landing, sending shivers straight to the coil riding low in Maura's gut. Heat. And then nothing.

The only thing more shocking than being pressed flush against Jane was the moment she realized Jane was gone. Opening her eyes, she saw Jane just as surprised, but quickly composing herself to talk to Frost. His hand was on her shoulder and he was shouting into her ear, a look of deep concern on his face. Seeing his cell phone clutched in his other hand, Maura was able to deduce he'd just received a call, likely another case. Jane's brow furrowed, confirming Maura's suspicions. Even though this put a definite end to all the _heat_, the intense expression on Jane's face still made Maura squirm. _In a very good way_, Maura thought as she suppressed a shiver.

Jane, on the other hand, felt like she'd been thrown in a cold shower. One second, she was pressed up against Maura, who was writhing against _her_ for a change, and the next, Barry Frost was wrenching her away, giving her the worst news of the week.

She looked over at Maura, hating to be the one to ruin this _moment_ they were having. She leaned in, surreptitiously running her hand down the length of Maura's arm, squeezing her fingers when their hands met. _Just to get her attention, though_, Jane thought.

"We have to go, Maura."

"But.. Jane, what happened?" Jane feared she wasn't just asking about Frost's phone call.

"We got the wrong guy..." she sighed and clenched Maura's hand tighter. "There was another murder."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! School has been crazy and while I'd much rather write RI fanfic, I'm not sure my history professor would take it as a substitute for my end-of-term paper. Thanks for bearing (baring?) with me on this! Also, I'm taking the liberty to assume Korsak is married in this chapter, so don't hate me if it turns out he's a bachelor. For those of you who will surely ask, Maura's new shoes DO exist (they were showcased in the episode with the Boston Marathon)! The Vibram FiveFingers shoes are really funky (a friend of mine has a pair). I tried them on and they make me want to climb things, like a monkey or something. Pretty cool, but they do look bizarre, haha.**

It was nearly five o'clock in the morning, and Jane lay in bed restlessly staring up at the ceiling. She'd tried just about everything to fall asleep, barring medication, but nothing helped. She simply couldn't push the evening out of her head. _That poor girl, _Jane sighed and turned over again, further tangling her long legs in the sheets.

The horrific triple-homicide of the previous week had taken a turn for the worse. They'd caught and booked one of the most likely suspects in the case, a middle-aged religious extremist with borderline schizophrenia who thought that the youth of Boston was a satanic army of sinners, hell-bent on corrupting the city and spreading sex, lies, and malevolence. The man, though obviously unstable, had been lucid enough to kidnap, torture and murder the three college students they'd found in an alley near his place of worship. The three bodies, two male and one female, had been mutilated beyond recognition, with religious markings carved into the flesh and positioned so that each victim appeared to be praying. "For forgiveness," the drunken perp had slurred as they'd hauled him away, "they're filthy with sin, they are! May He forgive them!" His maniacal laughter was still echoing through Jane's thoughts.

They'd caught the loon praying a few blocks away from the crime scene, with dried blood on his hands and clothes and the rope that had been used to strangle the victims. It was rather fortunate that the man was homeless and hadn't washed any of the evidence off in the three days since the crimes were committed. It had seemed like an open-and-shut case. Unfortunately, they'd been wrong; another body had been discovered two weeks after the first three victims had been found, with precisely the same religious markings carved into the corpse and forensic evidence that matched the original killings. It was no copy cat; the murderer was still out there... only this time, he'd only been able to attack and lay waste to one victim, what with his accomplice locked up in county jail.

Frost had gotten the call when they'd all been at the club. As the designated driver for the evening, he hadn't had a drop of alcohol and, after delivering the rather sobering news, drove them all to the headquarters, where they'd changed and headed to the crime scene. Frost had leaned over some bushes and vomited while Jane and Maura quickly processed through the crime scene. Jane had detailed the case to the beat cops on scene while Maura had taken samples and did all the forensic mumbo-jumbo that Jane barely understood. Though the tension had decreased severely between them since the interruption of their dance at The Lobby, it had still been palpable and they'd avoided each other's gaze for the remainder of the evening, each taking their own cars to their respective homes after they'd finished.

At the thought of Maura, Jane sighed loudly and sat up, all pretense of trying to fall asleep gone. She refused to admit that the dance they'd shared and thoughts of Maura were a contributing factor to her insomnia. Jane sat with her long bare legs over the side of the bed, head in her hands. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get the images of Maura in that stunning red dress to stop swimming through her thoughts. _Maura's body rubbing up against her, the smell of her perfume, her hands clutching Jane's shoulders, her thighs parting as Jane's leg slipped between them. _She stood, pulling off her shirt as she stalked towards the bathroom, seriously needing a cold shower.

Maura's morning had gone no better. After just a few hours of hardly restful sleep, she'd gone for a run to try and clear her mind. She was disturbed by the newest twist in the case, but what was actually occupying her thoughts was something she didn't exactly want to admit. She'd dreamt of Jane all night long; Maura woke around four in the morning and she could've sworn she could feel the heat of Jane's body hovering above her own. Even now, with the dense early morning fog curling around her, Maura could still feel the band of heat that was Jane's arm wrapped around her lower back. Shaking her head, she pushed harder, her feet slapping the pavement at shorter and shorter intervals. The new Vibram shoes she'd started training with provided little padding for her feet, but she'd felt the difference of impact in her hips and spine immediately. This newfound threshold excited her and she'd begun running longer and faster than ever before. _Perhaps a physical over-exertion will trigger the euphoria commonly known as "runner's high", _Maura thought rounding a corner to cut through the park, therefore taking the longest way home possible._ Surely a mental drain will follow._

Jane finally arrived at the police station around ten, after showering and forcing some food down her throat. _Hard to eat when my mind won't shut the f—_her thoughts were interrupted by Korsak's arrival with a box of doughnuts.

"Rizzoli!" he called, striding in. Frost was on his heels, looking over Korsak's shoulder into the open Dunkin' Donuts box, scoping out his favorite: chocolate glazed. Frost's hand reached out but Korsak glared at him and pulled the box away. "Come on, Rizzoli, have a doughnut." He stood in front of her chair, holding the open box under her nose expectantly. Just as she reached for one, he slapped the top closed. "That is, if you aren't trying to maintain your girlish figure," he snickered.

Jane scowled, but her laughter lessened the usually threatening effect. "Oh fuck off, Korsak. Shouldn't you be watching _your _figure?" she asked with a pointed glance at his slightly protruding midsection.

"Ah, the missus likes her men a little round about the edges," he answered with a smile, letting Jane take a pastry out of the box before sitting down at his desk. "But seriously, Rizzoli, Frost over here told me you were attracting a lot of looks last night. A dress, Rizzoli? Really?" His eyebrows were nearly lost in his hairline with how high they'd arched at the thought of his former partner in a dress.

Jane gaped at Frost, who just smiled sheepishly before stuffing nearly the whole chocolate glazed doughnut into his mouth. She just scowled at him and turned to Korsak.

"Well, uh, I didn't exactly _choose_ to wear that little number so," Jane scoffed and looked at her computer screen, completely ready to let the subject drop.

"Who dressed you then?"

"Uh…Maura," Jane said, scratching her head and trying to look occupied by glancing at the papers strewn about her desk. As much as she wanted to attribute the butterflies in her stomach to a bad batch of doughnuts, she knew that it was the thought of Maura that'd started the frenzy in her gut.

"Oh ho ho!" Korsak laughed. "You let the Queen of the Dead dress you up? Oh I bet she had some fun with that one." His body continued to shake with suppressed laughter. Frost, having finally swallowed his breakfast, started to laugh too.

"She was in heels and everything, man," he said to Korsak. "Ah, you should've seen it." The men continued to laugh, each imagining how uncomfortable their colleague was in the overly feminine attire.

"Oh shut up, the both of you," Jane said. She picked up the file she'd been pretending to look at and tucked it under her arm. "What's so funny about me in a dress, huh? I am a woman, you know, in case you forgot. Even if I can out-shoot both of you." She gave them her most intimidating stare, at which they both fell quiet.

"In _heels_, man." Frost whispered.

At that, both men burst out laughing again, along with two detectives and the few beat cops who were passing through the office. Jane just shook her head and chuckled.

"I'm taking this file downstairs," she said. Both men nodded, still laughing. She turned to walk out of the room, but a beat cop was in her way. "Move," she deadpanned.

With an exaggerated bow, the cop sidestepped out of her way. "Oh but of course, _Miss_ Rizzoli, ma'am." This sent the other cops, Frost and Korsak included, into a frenzy of laughter.

Jane scowled and flipped the bird over her shoulder, stalking out of the room to the staircase. _Maybe Maura's got the right idea,_ she thought, her shoes tap-tap-tapping down the steps_, at least dead people can't make fun of you for dressing up. Whatever. I looked good, and they know it. _She pushed the door to the morgue open; the cold, stale air made her gasp and take a breath through her mouth. She'd been a detective long enough to know that breathing through your nose around dead bodies would only make you sick. _A tip I will make sure to _not_ mention to Frost, _she thought wickedly, the image of him bent over bushes and holding his stomach coming to mind.

Maura looked up at the sound of the door. "Oh, you're here," she said, looking rather surprised, sewing up the Y-incision on a dead body. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and she had protective glasses perched on her nose. Her light blue paper gown was tied at her back and she had long bloodstained plastic gloves pulled up mid-bicep.

Jane studiously glanced in the other direction, hating that she'd walked in on an autopsy, but not hating it enough to leave. "Oh yeah, sorry, I should've called or something. I had to get out of there," she sighed, plopping down in Maura's desk chair. She sighed, running her hands over her face and then up through her hair.

"You never have to apologize for coming to see me, Jane," Maura said, blushing at once when she realized what she'd said. "About a case, or anything, really."

To Maura's relief, Jane didn't seem to catch the slip-up. The brunette was leaning back in the desk chair with her hands over her face. Maura had been surprised when Jane had walked into the lab; not surprised at her arrival exactly, but surprised that her stomach twisted at the sight of her. She'd understood her body's reaction to Jane last night when her best friend had been dressed up in one of Maura's favorite and rather expensive dresses. But now? In her drab suit jacket, white t-shirt, and black slacks? With that belt slung low around her hips? _And that little strip of tanned skin peaking between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her slacks._ Maura shook her head at her incriminating thoughts and proceeded to clean up. She knew Jane hated seeing all her equipment lying around mid-use, and though Maura never liked to leave things half-finished, her desire to sit and talk with Jane was winning out over the paperwork she needed to complete. She stripped the gloves off of her arm and strode over to the sink to wash her hands thoroughly.

"What's wrong, Jane?"

"Nothing really, just the guys. Korsak and Frost," she leaned forward again, resting her elbow on Maura's desk and her chin in her hand. "They were giving me sh—crap about last night." She mentally patted herself on the back for catching the curse word before it came out of her mouth. After the ribbing she'd gotten upstairs, the last thing she needed was Maura's disapproving stare in response to her trucker's mouth.

The M.E. smiled slightly, hearing Jane's correction, and pushed closed the drawer containing their third Jane Doe of the month.

"Surely they weren't actually giving you feces?" Maura glanced over her shoulder, smiling at the exasperated look she'd known would appear on Jane's face.

"Seriously, Maura?" Jane asked, looking up. She smirked, however, when she saw Maura's coy smile. "You're catching on quickly, for someone with no social skills."

"I try," she said with a tilt of her head. After disposing of her garbage in the biohazard container, she sat down in a chair opposite of Jane, looking at the brunette over the expanse of her impeccably neat desk. Maura took in Jane's posture; her friend's head was resting on her desk, one hand squeezing her neck, the other seemingly trying to relieve some of the tension from her shoulder. "I know of some very healthy ways to relieve that stress, if you'd like my help."

Jane's head snapped up, a look of slight panic on her face. "What?"

"Don't look so worried, Jane. I was talking about yoga," Maura said checking her watch. "There's a class tonight at seven, if you'd like to join me."

Jane, whose mind had been very far from the idea of yoga, sighed in relief. When Maura had pulled off her protective paper gown to reveal a tight black pencil skirt and a deep purple silk blouse with a plunging neckline, Jane had to look away because her mind was instantly flooded with thoughts of those same clothes scattered on her bedroom floor.

"No, Maura," she sighed, looking down at her hands. "I don't think yoga is going to do it for me today." Jane started wringing her hands, thumbs pressing into the mottled, raised flesh of her scarred palms.

"Jane, what's wrong?" Maura's tone was much more concerned than it had been before, causing Jane to look up. Her heart swelled at the caring and worried expression on her friend's face.

"I just... I just didn't sleep last night," Jane said hurriedly. "I was thinking about..." _you._ She bit her tongue to stop the last bit from coming out.

"The case," Maura finished. "Yes, me too." She paused, silent for nearly a full minute. "I had fun last night."

Jane smiled, understanding this was high praise from a woman who was not exactly social ept, and usually found cutting open dead bodies no less than fascinating.

"We should do it again," Jane said.

"Dancing?"

"Dancing, going out, movies, whatever." Jane glanced up meaningfully, her heart neaerly pounding out of her chest.

"Well, we already do that, Jane." Maura's puzzled expression effectively dissolved the tension of the moment, making Jane laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, we do." She sighed and stood up, starting to meander towards the door. After a pause, she asked, "So do you want to tonight?"

Maura stood as well, shuffling the papers on her desk to occupy her hands. She didn't know what she might do if she had to look Jane in the face at this very moment._ The rush of adrenaline and endorphins would surely cause one to do something quite rash._

"Oh, I don't think I could go dancing again tonight. I noticed a particularly painful strain in my gastrocnemius, as well as some tension in my thoracolumbar fascia..." Maura began, pointing to her calf and her back to show Jane where the pain was. Just as she was taking a breath to continue, Jane held up a hand to stop her.

"Please, Doctor Isles, I really don't need the anatomy lesson right now," she smiled to lessen the impact of the rather blunt interruption. Maura smiled back, she was used to this kind of behavior from a sleep-deprived and cranky Jane. "I was thinking just a movie night. I feel like vegging out anyway."

"Vegging out? I'm sorry, but I do not follow."

Jane laughed, continuing towards the door. She leaned against the frame, propping the door open with her foot. "Just be at my place tonight around 8, and bring comfy clothes." And then she was gone.

It took Maura a complete five minutes to digest and analyze the conversation, only to gasp with shock as she realized the implication. _Was Jane just trying to ask me on a date?_


End file.
